


Shinobi, Ye of Little Heart - A Naruto Fanfic

by Aneth_Stripes



Category: Naruto, Naruto Shippuden
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Multi, Ninja, Romance, anaami's trash is back y'all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:21:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22933984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aneth_Stripes/pseuds/Aneth_Stripes
Summary: Tenten was pulled from death but her savior none too kind enough to be her hero. Sasuke Uchiha has plans to use the kunoichi to end Konohagakure once and for all and despite her unwillingness, the ninja can do nothing but comply with the terrifying ninja her comrades used to praise.Stuck between a hard place and Sasuke's Kusanagi, Tenten must forgo her loyalties to both her morals and her village to keep her and her comrades alive.Just how far is the kunoichi willing to go? How far is Sasuke willing to go?
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Neji/Tenten, Tenten/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 9
Kudos: 17





	1. How The Beauty Bleeds

Tenten shuddered in agony as the pain spread from just below her chest to the rest of her body. It was the end for her and she knew it. Tears of pain spilled from her eyes as she studied the blurry mess before her. Even at night everything was clear.

She won. Oh yes, she won...but at a cost. She did it for her comrades but she knew they wouldn't recover; Neji and Lee would blame themselves and find ways to cope with her loss, but she felt as if they'd never be whole if she died. They would lose her and it was all her fault for rushing ahead in an attempt to prove herself. 

It was supposed to be a simple mission: Search for a missing couple who went out in the middle of the night for some "fun". When she was given the mission, Tenten was determined to show everyone that she wasn't worthless or a waste of space. She wasn't expecting the girl to be a kidnapped priestess, but...she was safe now, her and her new husband. 

She knew the truth of the mission and would write it in blood so her teammates would know the sacrifice she made. Tenten couldn't help but smirk; her comrades had always taken her for granted and never considered her feelings. 

Perhaps now they would experience immense guilt from it. She wouldn't be able to see it, breathing unevenly as her life source bled onto the ground below. 'No...I don't want them to hurt.' She didn't want to die, but the pain wasn't stopping. 

Her chest was numb with pain now and she knew she didn't have long. 

She reached for a scroll to write a quick message and tensed up painfully when a blade was held to her throat. 'I missed one?!' Her eyes darted about but she couldn't see anyone within her range; her sight was beyond pair, beyond seeing shadowy figures in the night that could be seen by the moonlight. 

She pleaded that she gave the priestess enough time to escape. 

Tenten waited for the final strike and grunted in pain when it was given as a sharp blow against her neck, knocking her unconscious. 

-

A young man with pale hair sighed and glanced at his "comrade" as she tended to the fresh bites that were placed upon her arm. "Keh, aren't you used to getting bitten at this point?"

"Fuck off, freak," she hissed, wincing at the visible, deep bites on her arm. "Damn, I didn't think she'd bite so hard." 

"She was close to death," a large man quietly stated as he stood before the sleeping kunoichi, staring down at her still form. The young woman was lying on her back and breathing easier than she was before. Although it wasn't any concern of the trio, they were mildly concerned that she wouldn't make it. 

The ninja was quite the fighter, however, and had pulled through despite the vast amount of blood she'd lost prior. 

The female glanced at the girl's form again before snorting, cradling her arm to her chest. "Why were we supposed to save her again?"

"Gah! Hell if I know." The white-haired man replied with a casual shrug. "I guess we'd better ask the boss when he gets back.

The taller male shook his head and crouched before the poor girl's form, covering her up with a blanket when she'd begun to shiver. The female sighed and said, "Jugo, you don't have to care for her like that. She's the enemy, remember?"

The man in mention smiled softly. "If that was the case, Sasuke would have left her for dead. If he wants her alive, then I must at least make sure she's comfortable." 

The woman snorted and stepped towards the entrance of the cave. Jugo glanced at her before looking at the shorter male. "Suigetsu...any ideas?" 

Suigetsu shrugged again. "Like I said, hell if I know! Maybe he wants her for information on Naruto? Shit, you're asking the wrong person here. Just wait until Sasuke gets back." 

Jugo nodded slightly before frowning. Karin had walked back in with a pale expression before glaring at the both of them. "Wise up, he's back." 

In walked Sasuke Uchiha with a scowl on his face. He glanced at Tenten before clicking his tongue. "Wake her up." 

Jugo wanted to protest since the girl had just fallen asleep, but the hatred festering in Sasuke's eyes kept him from speaking back. Jugo took a second too long in making a move, watching as Suigetsu got down and shook the girl awake. "Oi, wake up!" 

Tenten cried out in pain, cracking her eyes open but not exactly looking at him. Karin immediately shoved her foot through his chest and shouted, "Don't open her wound again, you asshole! I don't need her taking anymore from me!" 

Suigetsu grunted as water reformed his chest, backing away as Jugo crouched to life the sore girl to a sitting position. She blinked and glanced around for only a moment before closing her eyes and leaning up against Jugo's chest. "N-Neji no...five more minutes."

Sasuke grit his teeth before shouting, "Wake her up already!" 

This stirred Tenten with a start as she gasped and sat up, pain flashing in her eyes as an arm reached out to cradle her side. She winced and hunched over, breathing unevenly as she tried to get a grasp of where she was. 

Sasuke almost smirked at her pain, idly attempting to figure out which girl sat before her. It wasn't Ino...no, she had blonde hair. It wasn't that Hyuga's weak cousin either. Ah, Tenten then. He almost growled in disappointment; what was it with him and finding the weakest females to work with?

Tenten lifted her head and tried to break, but Sasuke had held his blade firmly to her neck. "I wouldn't speak if I were you." Tenten kept from gasping, biting her lip as pain traveled up and down her body. 

Sasuke...Uchiha. Kami, she was in trouble for real, wasn't she? 

Still, despite being scared she glared at the Uchiha. Sasuke was the one to save her, yes, but she couldn't imagine that it was good for anything other than using her. What for though? She had little to offer, and holding her for ransom would get him nowhere. 

After a moment of silent, he asked, "You are Tenten, yes?" 

She nodded, feeling the edge of the blade scrape against her neck. 

He tilted his head. "Given that your teammate is Neji Hyuga, you know Naruto Uzumaki, yes?" 

She scowled. "Who doesn't? What to you w-" she was immediately cut off as Sasuke added pressure onto her neck, cutting her and causing blood to trail down her neck. She glared up at him in both fear and resentment. 

Sasuke was almost delighted. "Where is Naruto currently? Don't lie to me either, kunoichi." He didn't have to tell her that he wouldn't mind slitting her throat and moving on with his day to day life. Tenten was an insect with power that didn't come close to matching his. 

"I-I don't know if he came back from a mission o-or if he's still out." Tenten swallowed, trying her hardest not to make him think she was lying. "I don't know if he's left. I swear." 

Sasuke tilted his head and read her carefully. After a pregnant moment, he lowered his blade and Tenten relaxed. Her eyes then widened in fear when he brought down his sword on her. 

In an instant, his blade clashed with her kunai. Jugo hadn't moved, though he looked tensed and prepared to pounce. The Uchiha almost smiled at the idea of him protecting the frail creature in front of him, though he couldn't save her life. 

"I thought you were going to let me go!" she shouted, gripping her waist tighter with her free hand. 

"I can't do that, unfortunately," he replied calmly as he approached her frail state. "My mission is to destroy Konoha, after all...and that includes you." 

Tenten winced and pushed back when Sasuke added pressure onto his blade. "W-what? Why? What have we done to you?! Are you willing to kill every innocent and former comrade to get what you want?!"

"Quiet!" He deflected her kunai and lifted her by her neck, slamming her body against the cave wall. 

"Hey, Sasuke!" Karin cried out, tensing up as she watched him handle Tenten so cruelly. Granted, she couldn't have cared more or less about the kunoichi, but that didn't mean the girl deserved to die!

Suigetsu and Jugo were quiet. If Sasuke wanted the girl dead, there was nothing either of them could do to stop him. Sasuke aimed his blade directly in front of Tenten's heart, tightening his grip on her neck. 

Tenten choked as tears threatened to spill out of her eyes, gripping his wrist tightly. Sasuke knew that if he could kill her then he could take the first step in destroying the Leaf Village. If he could kill her, he could kill everyone else; villages, his teammates, even his teacher. 

She couldn't say, but Sasuke could see hate so clearly in her eyes. Hate...and fear. Sasuke nudged his blade forward just a tad more before sighing and dropping her down. 

Tenten fell to her knees, coughing and rubbing her throat as her body trembled in both fear and pain. 

Sasuke's "comrades" breathed a sigh of relief as Sasuke placed his blade back into its scabbard. "I've had enough with you. We're returning you to the village, blindfolded and gagged. If you make an attempt at escape prior, tell anyone that you've seen me, or even try to follow us, then I will kill you without hesitation. Am I understood?" 

Tenten nodded, shuddering in horror at the idea of Sasuke taking her life. She didn't move when Sasuke treated her roughly, binding her ankles and wrists before muting and blinding her. "The rest of you will move to the other spot."

The kunoichi felt herself being lifted by what was probably Sasuke, based on the direction of his voice. There was no way she could keep from falling, but the missing-nin seemed to have a good grip on her regardless as he sprinted into the forest. Pine and honeysuckle attacked her nose as they sped past trees, but she didn't take in the smells nor did she enjoy them. 

Part of her considered fighting back, but she knew it was a losing battle thanks to her current physical state and the opponent she was facing. Sasuke Uchiha was frightening when she'd watched him fight, but now he seemed like he was well beyond the boy he was some years ago. She couldn't take that chance, not with him returning her home in mostly one piece. 

It still didn't keep her from being incredibly angry with him. 'Sasuke...he can't be trusted.'

The ride didn't last as long as she thought it would, and soon enough she was flung onto the ground. Her wrists and ankles set free. She was quick to free her mouth, but as her hands went for her mask, Sasuke's hands gripped hers tightly. She gulped and said nothing as she felt Sasuke's voice tickle her ears.

"I wouldn't tell a soul about me, Tenten. It would be...very unfortunate for you."

She resisted freeing a hand just to punch him, biting on her tongue as she waited for him to disappear. An entire minute passed before she felt safe enough to remove the headband, sighing in relief as she was left alone. 

She bit her lip, realizing that he might actually find and kill her if she spoke about him. Where did he have the eyes and ears to do such a thing? It unnerved Tenten. Even now he could be watching her to see if she was going to follow what she said. 

Tenten would've hugged herself, but her side still screamed bloody murder. For better or for worse, she had to keep her mouth shut for now. The ninja had to make sure she was safe first.


	2. Quick Recovery, Deep Remorse

Tenten walked toward the village gates with her hand still on her side, feeling waves of exhaustion hit her. She felt dehydrated and hungry, but more than anything, she was sure that she'd bruised more than half her body, both before and after dealing with that damned Uchiha. Still, she was grateful to be alive, even if it was prolonged by however long Sasuke pleased.

Deep down she knew that she should tell her sensei or Tsunade about her run-in with Sasuke, but the fear of being watched would keep her from doing anything other than sleeping...if she could even do that after her interaction with the bastard. Tenten shuddered and shook her head free of those thoughts. The only thing she could do for now was heal up and sleep the pain away. 

As she approached the gates, she noticed Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane at their usual posts just ahead. The two were playfully bantering with each other before staring at Tenten in mild shock. "Tenten!" Izumo exclaimed, standing up and staring at her with the one eye she could see through his bangs. "Where have you been?! Your team already returned but with news that you'd gone missing!" 

"Oh! Haha, no I'm fine!" 'I don't feel fine in the slightest!' As if to her spite her, pain wrapped around her side, forcing her to her knees as she whimpered in pain. 

"Tenten, hang on!" The two shinobi were quick to stop by her side, one of them picking her up carefully. "Kotetsu, I'm taking her to the hospital!" 

"Go!" 

Tenten winced and curled up to the shinobi in pain. She didn't think she had internal bleeding, but she was no medic and therefore could only assume. The trip didn't last long, thank Kami, and soon the nurses were taking her from Kotetsu placing her in a hospital room. 

The kunoichi closed her eyes and let them work on and inspect her, unsure of what internal damage there was inside her. It was bad enough that eventually they had decided on putting her to sleep for a while, but until then had given her pain medicine to counter the pain. 

She heard "bleeding" and "torn tissue" but got little else of what they were saying, closing her eyes in an attempt to rest just for a while. 

"Tenten!" She opened her eyes and smiled weakly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as her comrades stood before her. 

Rock Lee looked ready to pounce, tears streaming down his face as he struggled to contain himself. "I'm so happy you're okay Tenten! We were so worried about you when you didn't show up at the meeting point! W-We found your tools near the battleground and feared you were lost to us!"

She almost giggled at his emotional spur, waiting until he was breathless to finally say, "It's okay, Lee. I think they have to work on me a little." She winced before glancing at her other teammate, Neji Hyuuga, who had flinched when she budged the wrong way. She half expected him to say something but wasn't surprised when she was met with silence. 

Still, he couldn't hide the concern he had in his eyes. Tenten almost smiled, incredibly grateful to be alive and in front of her comrades again. "Where is Guy Sensei?" 

"He's speaking with Tsunade to inform her that you've been found," Lee replied, sniffing and wiping his eyes. "We were really worried, Tenten! W-We really thought-!" He couldn't keep from sobbing, falling to his knees and grasping Tenten's hand firmly. "Please accept my apologies, Tenten! We should've stayed hip to hip in that forest!" 

Neji hadn't moved forward, instead bowing his head as his eyebrows scrunched up. He was either annoyed with Lee or he himself was struggling to emotionally keep it together. 

'Did they truly worry about me?' She couldn't keep from crying anymore, letting tears trickle down her face. "N-no, it's okay. This was my fault." Next time she'd wait for them. Next time she wouldn't let her emotions get in the way.

Rock Lee gripped Tenten's hand harder as he stopped speaking, sobbing quietly. Neji came to Lee's side, gripping his shoulder firmly. "Lee, we should leave Tenten to let her rest." 

She looked up at him, mildly surprised that he was so quick to leave the room despite having just come in. "N-Neji..." 

He looked at her with an expression she didn't understand. "The nurses will be here soon, so we should let you rest in case you have to prepare for surgery." 

Damn that Hyuuga, playing stoic even after she was hurt? Tenten pouted a little before saying, "Yeah, I should probably rest up a little before they come back. Ugh, I hate surgeries."

"But you will come out just fine!" Lee exclaimed, standing up but still holding her hand firmly. "Afterward, I myself will treat you to any meal that you want, okay?!" 

Tenten nodded and gave a pained smile. "I'm holding you to it!" 

Lee sniffed and walked out, waving to her. "Feel better, Tenten!" He walked out and Neji followed, but not before glancing at her. Tenten had hoped that he would say something and found mild disappointment when he closed the door behind him. 

"Typical Hyuuga," she muttered, sighing and staring at the ceiling. Well, at least she had normalcy back in her life for the time being. 

-

"Neji, why did you not greet your teammate?!" Lee was furious with Neji's actions. The least he could have done was say something to her about how he was sorry! They said harsh words to her though they never realized it at the time, and now because of it, Tenten was in a hospital bed. 

"Quiet," Neji spoke in a low tone, leaning up against the wall. 

"No, Neji listen to me! We could have lost her! You saw how much blood there was, didn't you?!" 

Neji glared at Rock Lee. "Be quiet, Lee." 

"No, no you be quiet and listen to me!" Lee was shaking, eyes wide at the mere thought of losing his teammate. If he had lost her, no, if he'd lost any of them, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. "I know being a shinobi and protecting our village is important, but we have to protect our teammates as well! We made Tenten think she was useless and undeserving of praise!" He was crying again, gripping the collar of Neji's shirt. "We hurt Tenten and now she's injured! What kind of teammates are we, Neji?!" 

Neji's arm came up as he violently shoved Lee off of him, glaring at the ninja with watery lavender tears. "You act as if I don't already know this!" 

Lee flinched at the harsh tone Neji was using; it was so rare of him to raise his voice. 

"I'm aware," he spoke with a tight tone, "of what we've done to Tenten Lee." The Hyuuga rested his back against the wall, breathing unevenly as he struggled to get a hold of his emotions. "We hurt her. I know this. I know." There was nothing he could do or say to make up for it. So he didn't, at least not then and there. 

What could he give other than empty promises? They hurt her pride and trust, enough to where she recklessly went out to complete the mission on her own without asking for their help. It was their fault that she was hurt. "What could I have said?" His voice was cracking, a foreign sound even to him. He gripped the wall, trembling in anger and fear. What would they have done if she died?

What would he have done? 

"We hurt her. I know this. I know we hurt her. Lee..." He turned away, unable to show his tears to his teammate. "We have no excuse for this."

Lee smiled helplessly, unsure of how to respond to him at that point. He was right, they both were. There was no way they could make up for neglecting their teammate. 

-

Tenten was worked on fairly quickly and released in the same day. She took her time walking out of the hospital, expecting to be walking on her lonesome when she caught sight of Lee and Neji near the front doors. "What are you guys doing here?" 

Lee grinned and said, "We're going to walk you home! You just got out, right? What if you stumble and tear something open?!" 

Tenten thought her comrade was being a bit overprotective and paranoid but she wasn't going to complain. When she'd gone to sleep, all she could see was Sasuke and glimpses of his blade closing in on her. "Okay, sure!" she chirped, beginning to walk at a slow pace. Neji and Lee fell into step beside her. 

Nothing was said for most of the walk. Tenten had half a mind to expect Lee to say something at least, but he was really quiet and that only served to worry her. "Ne...I'm sorry for running ahead without you guys." 

"Don't be sorry!" Lee stopped and turned to her, shocking her with how quickly Lee was brought to tears from her apology. "You're alive and that's all that matters, right? Right? Next time let's work as a team so no one gets badly hurt!"

Tenten smiled sheepishly, throwing her shoulders back as she said, "Yeah, let's kick ass next time!" Her back protested the movements, causing her to groan and hunch over. "Ugh, after I heal up. This sucks!" 

Neji glanced at her and she noticed a ghost of a smile on his face. Tenten didn't know what to think of it and instead said nothing as she walked upright. The three of them continued to walk, eventually making it to the stairs of her apartment. "Yay, home! I can't wait to unpack and- w-wait, what happened to my scrolls?!"

She started to panic until Neji placed a hand on her shoulder. "We picked up your items from the battleground and returned them home. I made sure they were cleaned properly." 

Tenten turned to face him and asked, "The crevices? And the handle, did you make sure to dry the handle?" 

"Of course Tenten," Neji replied, quirking an eyebrow as he gave her a blank stare. "Would you have let it go if I mishandled your tools?" 

The kunoichi gave him a cheeky grin. "No, I guess not. Thanks!" She started walking up the stairs, pretending that it didn't hurt with each step she took. "Ugh, it huuuurts!" Well, she didn't mean to blurt that out!

"I've got you!" Lee lifted her up with ease, easily jumping to the top of the stairs before letting her down onto her feet. 

"Thanks Lee," she replied with an awkward smile. "I should be good from here. See you guys whenever?" 

The hyper shinobi before her hugged her gently and chirped, "Yes, we will see you tomorrow! We're going out for lunch, my treat!" 

Tenten blinked in confusion before looking to the Hyuuga for confirmation. Neji nodded in response, eyes closed as his expression looked thoughtful. "I will handle other expenses if there are any." 

She could have cried if she wasn't already tired of crying. Instead she patted Lee on the back awkwardly before pulling away. "Haha, sure thing! I'll see you guys tomorrow then!" 

"Okay, see you! Rest up, and eat, but don't use sharp objects, and try not to shower yet, did they wash you at the hospital?!" 

"Lee," Neji chastised.

"S-sorry, Tenten! Good night!" 

Tenten pulled her keys out and walked inside her home, closing it behind her before exhaling and slumping against the door. "Oh man..." She didn't want them to feel like she owed them, but one free lunch wouldn't make her the worst person right?

The teen wandered about and fixed herself a small meal before preparing for an early rest. While she was mostly healed, there were some stitches and she was advised to get rest as much as possible for the next few days. 

'Not a problem,' she thought, breathing an exasperated sigh. She'd need time to forget all about that stupid Uchiha anyway. At least for now, he was out of sight, and eventually, or at least she was hoping, he'd be out of mind as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Back on my Fanfiction BS, please bear with late and odd updates.


End file.
